The Value of School Sports

There is a rhythm to school sports and secondary school sports are approaching their second of three crescendos in the year. One has its pinnacle in early December with the conclusion of sports like volleyball and football. Basketball among others play for championships in March and rugby and track-and-field are among those that climax in late May. In February, many schools turn to the basketball playoffs as we approach B.C.’s March Madness.

I don’t spend as much time in gyms as I did even a few years ago when I was often consumed by them — first as a coach and then as a school administrator — but the value I see in school sports hasn’t changed. There is a great deal that can be written about what is changing with school sports, and what needs to change, so they remain vibrant parts of our schools (clearly, more posts to come), but this post has a tighter focus. The photo above, taken at last Friday’s game between West Van Secondary and Sentinel, shows amazing school pride in action.

What do I love about school sports? They provide a lens through which to see the world. It is positive values that make sports meaningful. These values are still alive and well in two ways — the value of school sports, and the values that we hold in school sports. It is a wonderful ritual that links our school experiences to those of our parents and our kids.

From time to time, I am concerned about athletics and values. Mostly, I am worried school athletics in the larger community are not valued as they should be. We often hear about how we need to improve reading, writing and math skills — and the implication is, it’s okay if the arts or athletics fall off. I sometimes feel like I missed a memo somewhere — are school sports not important anymore?

For many adults, some of our greatest moments in high school came from outside the classroom, at a school drama performance, as part of a school trip and, for many, from school sports. We also know, absolutely, school sports make an important contribution to the culture, character and definition of our schools.

I have seen, and still see, school sports much like Bill Bradley described in his book Values of the Game. So many of the qualities of a full and meaningful life are honed on a soccer field, in a gymnasium, or in the pool. The passion that drives you to compete and better yourself. The discipline that forces you to maintain a schedule and balance your life. The selflessness that epitomizes being a great team player. The respect you develop for each other, teammates, opponents and the games you play. The perspective and resilience you find by realizing life goes on, even after a big loss, and winning and losing is not only about the score in the game. The courage you show to triumph over adversity, and the leadership which defines special athletes whose greatest accomplishments are not only about making themselves better, but raising the level of all those around them.

We are lucky to have the model we have for school athletics. A model built on volunteerism — teachers and other staff coming together with parents and others in the community, to foster not only the growth of school sports, but also the building of life values. There are few better feelings than when a former athlete sees you some 10 or 20 years after you worked with them, calls you coach and tells you that he or she is now also coaching. While we can lament there is not more money in athletics, or that we don’t have a paid coaching model like some private schools, or many places in the United States — we do have a model where communities come together and make school sports happen, and often “pay it forward” athletes later in life become coaches to offer others what they once had.

Thanks to everyone in our district — and in all districts — who support our students through athletics, helping our students to sharpen their values. School sports continue to be a wonderful ritual worth celebrating.

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46 Responses

Great post Chris. That photo brought back a flood of memories for me. I can remember countless battles with West Van when I played at Windsor in the early 80’s. I continually draw from my athletic experience to ground me with my current career. Sports teach us how to handle success and failure…how to handle adversity.

Coaches do so much to shape the character of the players they coach. My HS basketball coach – Phil Langley – is the reason I became a teacher!

Yes, it was 1982 that West Vancouver won the AAA provincials – one of the many great eras of basketball on the North Shore. I think some coaches gave many a bad name for a time – they dismissed their class responsibilities for their coaching responsibilities. I have been continually impressed with those I come across with a background in athletics. Like others who volunteers with clubs, the arts etc. coaches have an amazing work ethic, and realize what we do is more than just a “job”.

I continue to be influenced by many who I have coached with over the years.

I totally agree Tom (and Chris) – I grew up in a sports-rich culture, in schools that valued their teams (Brookswood in Langley and South Peace in Dawson Creek). I have better memories of my coaches than my teachers, thanks to Mark Tamblyn, who insired me to be a gym teacher.

Somehow along my journey to professional gym-rat, I got into school leadership, which attribute to the skills I learned in sports – courage, confidence, leadershipip, teamwork, dedication, etc.

How many school and business leaders were once gym rats? I know of many in my district.

It is like memory lane – I recall some very good games coaching against Mark Tamblyn coached teams. As I said to Tom, I think there is a new generation of “gym rats” who have assumed leadership positions – those who value sports, but recognize the full range of involvments in school life as being important.

Chris, thank you for this post. As educators we need to (constantly) make the case for a well-rounded school experience for our children. We are preparing them not only for the world of work but for the world of life – and we see more and more how physical activity, sport and healthy choices contribute to a fulfilling life.

I’m sure most of the replies you receive here will be from people who participated in school sports. I loved track in school. I didn’t make the volleyball team because I was too short … but played recreationally anyway :-). My two sons in jr. and sr. high participate in school sports – they are participants in their school experience, not bystanders. The same is true for the fine arts. My husband, a high school teacher has coached and played since he was in high school. We’re entrenched in what you speak of.

Here is my newest ephiphany however. As we embrace inclusion and differentiation for our students, we often do not think of physical activity and sport as a critical component for children with disabilities. The Paralympic Games (especially on home soil in Feb 2010) provide us with incredible examples of disabled athletes and their tragedies and triumphs. These are the elite. What of all of the children in our schools who are delegated to “timekeeper” or “scorekeeper” or “manager” etc because of their disabilities? They too need to be physically active.

I am part of an assembled a team of sport and educational professionals working with the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Our focus is on finding ways to be strategic in allocating funding and providing opportunities for children and youth with disabilities in the regions and communities in which they live. The programming will be inclusive of able-bodied and disabled children. We are beginning the research in B.C. as I write this.

Chris, bravo, you have nailed the essence of school sports in BC. Your message really reinforces how important it is for teachers/coaches to build positive relationships with their students in any environment (classroom, gym, court, field, rink, outdoors, etc.). Tom and Kyle are examples of how Athletics provides a natural opportunity to form these relationships with students. I’m hoping your post goes reaches beyond this blog. I will certainly forward to all my athletic directors in my district.

You do raise a perplexing question around why society does not value school sports given the plethora of positive benefits. I have spent my teaching career promoting the importance and value Physical Education and Athletics provide children and youth and have ultimately concluded that until physical activity/physical education/athletics is elevated to the same status as literacy and numeracy and supported to the same levels, in general, we will continue to be considered a “luxury item” and not a necessity.

I read a quote in Macleans about 10 years ago that has stuck with me: As a nation we demand more of our students’ minds and ask increasingly less of their bodies. As my Superintendent Mike Mckay often states “When will what we know change what we do?”

Thanks Glen for sharing this more widely. I do feel at times that those of us who believe in the power of sports – both in its promotion of the values we believe in and in its amazing health benefits, feel we should be shy about this. I am so appreciate of the teachers in my childrens’ school who volunteer their time to offer experiences for students. While many sports are moving more to being community based (volleyball, football, and even basketball) there is a value of sports in schools, because they, largely, promote the values of our school. While community sports values can be questionable at times – school sports promote the values of the game that Bill Bradley writes about in his book.

I totally agree with you Chris about sports. They are a huge element of a school culture.

With that being said, I am hoping to see posts in the future about other elements of school life that do not get as much attention, yet are just as valuable. The arts are something that we need to give more attention to as well yet often gets overlooked leaving out a huge population of our students. I am looking forward to your post on those activities as well!

Absolutely George. There is often more glory in a basketball program that engages a dozen students than a club, drama production or band that many connect many more. The importance of highlighting the range of opportunities that link students to their passions should not, though, diminish the power of sport for many of your people. Perhaps it is our BC context, but school sports seem to be less and less valued in some circles, and finding teacher coaches is increasingly difficult. These trends are not healthy for our schools.

In British Columbia, are coaches voluntary or is it a paid position? I coached for several years and I know that it can be a VERY stressful volunteer position. I ref now and some of the comments that come out of the stands at high school games from parents are pretty offensive, especially in a school setting.

Do you have any programs that work with parents, coaches, and/or players that really focus on sportsmanship and role modeling? In our division, we had the “Positive Coaching Alliance” and I thought it was fantastic in working with our teams to promote “healthy competition”.

In public schools in BC coaching are volunteers – a mix of teachers, parents and community volunteers. Increasingly over the last couple decades the percentage of teacher coaches has decreased. I agree with you around the behaviour of some parents – it is an issue. I think some of the challenges of community sports around this issue have spilled out into school sports. I think the videos from Hockey Canada, like this one below, nicely make the point:

We don’t have anything like the Positive Coaching Alliance, (I don’t think) but BC School Sports has made efforts around student and parent codes of conduct for school sports:

I’m about to post today on much the same topic as I presently coach my son’s grade 5 team and help with my daughter’s grade 8 team (and still try to be recognizable to my wife). As you are fond of saying, “my choice.”

What many fail to realize is that basketball, like all sports, is a vehicle in which we teach a few skills but also provide comfort and a safe place wherein we can help kids discover their own admirable purposes. It’s an opportunity for us to help kids build capacities in group interpretation, negotiation of shared meaning and co-construction of problem resolutions.

Sports is so much more than just the pursuit of the ‘W.’ It’s about recognizing the profound difference one can make within a group context. It’s about receiving mentorship from healthy, well-intentioned and caring adults: this is the “pay it forward” premise behind what we do. Isn’t it really a variation of our belief in lifelong learning?

“Because nothing brings out the “Idiot Gene” like athletics (or any extracurricular).”

So true. As a player I remember really questioning the motivation of some coaches as parents and what message they were sending and now as a coach I find myself having to run interference with parents that get caught up in their child’s “budding athletics career”.

The kids are quite happy just to be there and playing for the most part. Sure, everyone wants to win but regardless they are still all smiles, going over every minute of the game riding home on the bus whether they win by one or lose by 30.

I worry that fewer people will coach, because some parents put such pressure on coaches – it makes them wonder why they are volunteering. I find time has continued to change me as a coach. I wouldn’t make a great provincial coach these days – I have too easy a time losing on the scoreboard and still finding victories.

Sports were a big part of my life going through school and outside of school. My parents had always made a point of reminding me that these were parents and volunteers who were giving up their time so that I would have a team to play on. I was very fortunate to always find myself on teams that preached sportsmanship, did not tolerate belittling of teammates or other teams and always set an example. Because of the dedication that was shown by these volunteers I decided that I needed to pay it forward by starting to coach myself when I was 19, and through that I discovered that it was teaching that I was passionate about.

I love the role that sports play in a school. I am lucky to have a staff that gives a lot of time to coaching, running intramural leagues and helping one another. Our students are offered opportunities to play volleyball, basketball, hockey, dance, yoga, cross-country and track and we are K-5. Staff who are not coaching are always willing, at the drop of a hat, cover a practice, help out with a game or drive some kids when our coaches are in a jam. Our hockey league has 70% of our boys and girls in grade 4 and 5 playing, we have referees, reporters, time keepers and photographers so that even those that do not want to play have a way to be included.

Everyone who signs up plays. I think this is the most important part. How many students discover a passion for a sport because they were introduced to it through their school? How may become active, healthy young adults because of the opportunties that were afforded to them at school? How many are able to play a sport at school because there is no cost? There is an amazing community connecting piece that is in place because of sports. Students see staff in another light, non-teaching staff are involved as well and the relationship with students can be transformed. I also loved coaching younger grades because by the time they were in my class we already had a positive rapport and that made the start-up so much easier.

George is right about the arts, and sometimes I do not know if we do enough to promote it. That is something that I really need to think about.

Great thoughts and I certainly agree that the value of sports in schools and in the community is immeasurable.

From 5 or 6 years old I was involved in organized sports and 25 years later many of my closest friends are the same ones I met playing on various teams in and out of school. When I started high school I joined the basketball team and made new friends and formed bonds that would carry me through high school and into my young adult life. I continued to be involved in competitive sports outside of school and have told many people and my own students that the greatest memories of school usually involve sports and rushing from one practice to the next, cheering on other teams, wearing our school logo and feeling proud to be a part of something. (Other memories were of spending countless lunch hours in the art room so I hold the arts in just as high regard but I’ll stick to sports here).

Not every child is as lucky as I was/am to have parents who would chauffeur me around with snacks or money on hand, buy equipment so that I could participate in a several activities (thanks mom and dad!). Sports enriched my life and taught me lessons about perseverance, acceptance, belonging, teamwork, work ethic, leadership…and the list goes on. School sports provides students that might not otherwise have the opportunities to be involved and be part of a team, learn new skills and develops friendships that will last a lifetime.

In the fall I coached the cross-country team, and now I coach intermediate boys and girls basketball teams and for these kids, the many benefits of being a part of these teams is difficult to put into words. Being in a rural location, there is often a lack of things to do after school, especially in the snow. Practices and games give them something to do after school and guaranteed time to hang out with friends that they may not get the opportunity to do otherwise depending on where they live. Watching these students transform as they put on the new uniforms we got this year, and seeing the pride they exude and the excitement just to be there and be on the court or on the track is worth every minute of extra time spent after school.

What disappoints me is the tendency of some teachers to treat Physical Education as a reward, or missing it as a punishment for not completing other work in class. This attitude sends the message that physical activity does not hold the same value as academic subjects when it should be made a priority, especially given the clear lack of activity that many children and youth are engaging in. When I was a kid, all we ever did was play outside, run around playing cops and robbers, hide ‘n seek, tag or we’d just ride our bikes in circles for hours on end. With video games, TV, computers consuming so much of young peoples’ time, I think we need to really focus on promoting sports in our schools, not only for the physical side but for the social benefits as well.

Great comment Sarah – and I completely agree with your point in the last paragraph. Physical activity should not be used as reward / punishment. It sends the wrong message about activity. Thanks for taking so much time to influence other young people through coaching.

I appreciate our connection through sports – which now has led to this wonderful connection around teaching and leanring.

I will absolutely write about the arts in the future – and agree with all who also point to the key role in plays in schools. Show me a school with a vibrant athletics and arts programs and you are showing me a school that kids would love to attend.

I really appreciate the values that come with school sports that do not always come with community sports. My lifetime love of sports was built from teachers in elementary school – who took the time to share their passions with me. And I have tried to pay it forward; hoping others will do it for my kids.

While it is common enough to see sports enthusiastically and uncritically consumed, it is a little disconcerting to see sports misconstrued as ‘character-buiding’ and ‘socially valued’ on an educationists blog. For more insightful perspectives on sports, I’ll refer to George Orwell and Sir Ken Robinson:

“Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting.” – Orwell

“There are vociferous and passionate fans all over the sports landscape – football devotees in Green Bay, soccer (or as those of us from the rest of the world know it, ‘football’) enthusiasts in Manchester, ice hockey zealots in Montreal, and so on. They cover their walls, their cars, and their front lawns with team paraphernalia. They might know the regular lineup for their local teams when they finished in fourth place in 1988. They might have postponed their weddings because the date conflicted with the World Series or the European Cup. They are dedicated to their teams, rhapsodic about their teams, and their moods might be dictated by the performance of their teams. […]

Some people, including Henri Tajfel and John Turner, refer to [fan behaviour] as social identity theory. They argue that people often derive a large sense of who they are through affiliation with specific groups and tend to associate themselves closely with groups likely to boost their self-esteem. Sports teams make fans feel as though they are part of a vast, powerful organization. This is especially true when the teams are winning. Look around at the end of any sports season, and you’ll notice team jerseys of that season’s champion sprouting all over the street, even in places far distant from the team’s home city. Fan’s boast their affiliation with victorious teams much more loudly because at some level they believe that being associated in a tangential way with such a team makes them look better.” – Sir Ken Robinson, The Element: How finding your passion changes everything

I wouldn’t expect pro-sports enthusiasts to have a eureka! moment after coming in contact with these dissenting views, but I can only hope to lodge a seed of doubt: competitive sports aren’t congruent with ethical pedagogy.

After thinking about this for the day (pro-d day so I had some time to think) – Sports are important, movement in general is important (as our keynote presenter Guy Le Masurier said) but more important s giving our kids opportunitie to pursue their passions. My passion was basketball, but many students are passionate about drama, music, robotics, dance, gaming, writing poetry… and the list could go on.

As administrators and teachers it’s important that we value their passion and efforts in these areas.

Well put Kyle. I think providing the opportunities to let students pursue their passions and express themselves in a variety of ways. Whether it be sports, visual arts, drama, music, reading, writing or some combination of these, facilitating these endeavors can only serve to enhance the overall experience of school and our students’ education.

Agreed Sarah. It is also about thanking all teachers (and others) who share their passions with students – be that sports, the arts, the environment, or as I was reminded on Twitter today – debate club.

Agreed Kyle – let’s just make sure that we have a wide enough view of passions that is not narrowed on academics. Let’s also make sure we say school sports are important. If we say this at the same time we talk about other key elements of school that works for me..

Fantastic post that obviously got great fedback because it rings true for so many of us. I recall fondly my days as a high school athlete, and like many others was inspired toward a career in education by some of my coaches. I also look back on my days in school, and honestly believe that the skills I learned from my involement in athletics (teamwork, connecting with each others, overcoming adversity, learning how to cooperate and/or disagree, how to motivate self and others and so many more) are among the most important in my life, and what I use in my work most successfully.

As far as coaching goes, I agree with another responder to your post who felt all teachers should coach. In most examples, I think they do, whether it be through athletics or a different venue (music, theatre, debate etc…). Coaching, as we all acknowledge, is about so much more than sports.

I also still remember coming into several competitions against teams you worked with, knowing our team was in for a good battle, because you had them well prepared.

Great topic for discussion Chris. Like many of you who have posted, school sports have impacted my life in a positive way and have opened many doors of opportunity for me. I have learned countless lessons from a wide variety of coaches and their coaching style both on and off the basketball court. I thoroughly enjoy giving back to high school sports through coaching. Every year I work hard on improving my coaching strategies by reflecting on past experiences both as a player and a coach. What was successful? What wasn’t? Why was it successful? Why wasn’t it?

As lovers of sport, we have to find ways to not only maintain the value of school sports, but to implement strategies to improve it and create a sports culture within schools: increase sport awareness, increase promotion of sports (players & spectators), increase parent involvement, etc… This should be a re-occurring goal within the school system. Unfortunately, only the people who have been involved with sport in some way or another really know its true value….

Growing up in an immigrant family where sports came second to academics was difficult. As much as I strived to do well in school to please my parents, there would always be the same response “playing sports will not provide you with food.” However, this added more drive for me to compete and be the best both academically and athletically. Although I was not the most gifted athletically, I worked hard and competed hard. My elementary coach at the time Mr. Ralph Murray recognized this perseverance and always kept me on the teams that I participated on. He was stern man with little tolerance for unruliness. Yet, he had a kind heart and asserted himself in making a sports program that thrived in a back of the woods East Vancouver elementary school. He organized intramural noon hour games, sports days, extra-curricular sports and taught PE. He epitomized what a dedicated teacher at that time was.

Times have changed though. Children today take on too many commitments. Sometimes by choice, but mostly due to over-involve parents. As a result, their commitment sways when success is not instantaneous. As if this is not hard enough on coaches, many parents take on an extreme advocacy role that would turn off any non paid volunteer. Added to this is a culture of new teachers that frown on any additional work outside of their normal duties as a teacher, teachers with young families and teachers who reside outside the postal code where they work. What has developed is a culture that does not teach resiliency in our children, nor value the spirit of volunteerism, and nor provides support that allows teachers to give back to the school community.

How do we change our school culture to reflect the value that sports play in shaping young people’s lives? What tools do the private school systems use to put sports at the top of its core of values?

Having said that, Kenneth makes some very valuable observations, with respect to the current culture of high school coaching. There are indeed fewer teacher coaches in our District compared to ten years ago. There are several reasons for this, both extrinsic and intrinsic. Coaches are certainly criticised now more than ever by parents and players. This can make the experience far less enjoyable, particularly for more novice coaches. As romantic as “pay it forward” sounds, it is sometimes tough to turn down the $50 per hour tutoring job after school, or to simply coach and spend time with your own kids who attend a school outside the District (particularly for West Van teachers who are unable to reside in the District). A simple “ thank you” does indeed go a long way, but the reality is that the days of assuming the teacher will coach, both at school and in the community, are dwindling. I feel we need to start recognising the extreme volunteerism of teachers and parent coaches alike. I would suggest the following to start:
• 2 blocks for the Athletic Director. I did this job for two years. Each AD is allotted approximately 100 hours to oversee at least 15 sports and over 45 teams, depending on the school and the year. This could include over 75 coaches and could encompass nearly half the student body as participants alone. The duties that befall this position cannot possibly be carried out effectively under the current allocation of time.
• I would recommend that any School District look at developing a “Coaches Handbook”, if they don’t have one already. This document would be used to explain the philosophy, rules, procedures, and expectations around coaching athletic teams at both the School District and school levels. This document should be developed as a result of a collaborative process. Included in the document development process should be the ADs, a member of the senior management team from the School Board Office and any other interested parties. It is felt that such a document will significantly help coaches that are new to the School District. It will create less reliance on the AD and a greater sense of autonomy for coaches.

• The School District may consider offering teacher coaches a “personal day” based upon a criteria. Perhaps anyone who volunteers 100 hours or more.

• Pay for coaches to get certified. Especially with the increase in non-teacher coaches, we should take advantage of CBET (formerly NCCP).

• The District may wish to explore the benefits of granting PB+15 category pay status, for any active teacher-coach who receives a certification of level 3 or higher, of the 5 levels of certification.

• Utilise your veteran coaches to mentor. Shaun McGuiness, Rob Ros, Tim Murdy and Randy Young are excellent examples of outstanding coaches in our District that often are/were grooming another coach or former player to contribute.

I believe that athletic programs are no longer self-sustaining and need to be considered as a priority by the School District. As Seth Godin claims, “Change can be uncomfortable”, and this may be a great time to not just “adopt new words” but actually change the way we operate….and that’s about all I have to say about that.

Given some of the recent research about contact sports causing brain damage in high school students who had never suffered an apparent concussion, I think it’s time to question whether schools should be sponsoring any contact sports like football. http://tinyurl.com/2vvodck

Also, I think much of the benefit of school athletics depends on leadership. I played on one team which was well-coached and promoted a real sense of cooperation and sportsmanship. I was also on another team which was full of hazing and bullying, and another player and I ended up getting verbally abused until we quit because we didn’t fit in with the rest of the team. Both of those experiences ended up being life lessons, but one was certainly more positive than the other. I found the latter experience diminished my school pride, I certainly wasn’t about to go to the gym and cheer on that group of bullies and jerks.

I also find it unfortunate that people have posted that athletics should have a place in schools equivalent to literacy and numeracy. Coming from educators, I find that notion somewhat worrying. I know many successful adults who didn’t play any sports in school, but I don’t know very many successful adults who didn’t develop strong literacy and numeracy skills.

I think it’s great when schools are able to provide opportunities for students to do things they love, whether that’s playing sports, going to the model UN or participating in a school band. However, in our province, around 40% of our population have limited reading skills. (http://tinyurl.com/47ncpje) I think until we as a society can ensure that everyone is mastering essential literacy and numeracy skills, we need to ensure those things are the focus of the education system.

Thanks for an excellent post about the importance of schools sports, Chris and thanks for including the video of the high school game. What a lovely example of how a team can make a difference in a student’s life.

With all the good edu-babble going on, this post is a reminder of one often overlooked great things about the school experience, elementary and secondary. School sports is the arena where young people learn the great things like comradery, teamwork, and group dynamics. Also, there are moments in competition where there is struggle. This gives kids the opportunity to emerge through incredible challenge and they break through and overcome fear and anxiety and release their potential and succeed, OR learn how to accept defeat with humility.
I am so glad you brought this to the forefront, especially as there are so many kids INVOLVED at this point in the school year.

Thanks Bernie. It is a very exciting time of year. With a range of offerings at schools, sports can also be a great way to engage some students who don’t feel that engaged in other aspects of school and they can be a real hook to connect them. Hopefully school sports are continuing to be a vibrant part of the McNair culture.

Thought it would be appropriate to make a response to this post now as teachers vote to not participate in extracurricular activities as a response to the contract dispute with the government.

For those of us who participated in athletics in high school, we know the important value of it. We understand how those lessons learned through athletics have helped us get to where we are today. They made us better. Also as coaches, we know what athletics can do for certain students who need the discipline, organizational skills, communication, goal setting and values that are taught through athletics.

More that just athletics, student activities is another extra that give students connection to their school and community. The many clubs and extras that are offered to students at school make the difference for many. They make coming to school more fun and important! When students like coming to school , they will do better in class too! All of these extracurricular activities in BC are done on volunteer time from teachers and other staff. So the importance of this cannot be overlooked. Maybe we need to compensate teachers for the work they do in student activities and athletics.

In the U.S., they are also dealing with budget cuts and student activities are taking a hit. The Alliance for Student Activities has a campaign to try and inform everyone about the importance of this in our schools. Take some time to listen to their message. Here is a link to their message. X = Student Activities. http://vimeo.com/37342407 They show data here that links student participation in activities to their academic success. Here is a link to their website too: http://www.alliance4studentactivities.org/

We need athletics and student activities in our schools. Let’s not take them away from the students or teachers who have the passion to participate.

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